Should I Keep Her Home from School Tomorrow?

Updated on
September 27, 2010

M.B.
asks from
Ballwin, MO
on September 26, 2010

16
answers

Hello! We are new at the Kindergarten thing and I really do not want my daughter to miss any school, but she JUST fell asleep, because she has been having coughing fits and throwing up. :( She has no fever, just a little cold, maybe allergies. I gave to allergy medicine and propped her up. Since she was up late and threw up, should I keep her home tomorrow? I know the throwing up was only from coughing. She doesnt have any of these problems during the day, just at night when she lays down and has drainage.

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So What Happened?

I kept her home today. Mainly for the fact that she didnt get enough sleep, and if this is not allergies and in fact a cold, I want her to get her rest. With that being said, someone aksed if I would have gone to work, Yes I would have gone to work because I would have taken some cough medicine and went to sleep. I do not give my children cough medicine. My child does not have pertussis, whooping cough and any other extreme virus. She has very minimal symptoms durinng the day, maybe a cough here and there. Which are also symptoms of her allergies. And I should have corrected myself, she went to bed at 8pm and woke up around 11:30 with the coughing fit, which I spent a good 40 min giving her home remedies for cough, when she finally fell asleep about an hour later. I am 100% sure its the drainage and coughing that made her throw up, considering I sat there and watched it take place. I also dont remember mentioning that she has vomitting and diarrhea either, because that would clearly be a problem. I am sorry to hear some of your children get shingles with a slight cold, I would never send my kid to school with a fever. I dont care what grade she is in, school is very important to us, and I WILL not keep her home everytime she has a sniffle, this is part of life and if the world stopped working because of a sniffle, we wouldnt get much done. I am going to ask the school about their guidelines of being sick. If I keep this kid home everytime she has the sniffles or a slight cough, we are gonna be in trouble!

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R.R.

answers from
New Orleans
on
September 26, 2010

She needs to see her doctor to have her allergies treated if they are causing such severe symptoms. I would not send her to school.

C.C.

answers from
Fresno
on
September 26, 2010

I'm with the other moms, wait and see how things are in the morning. Even if she isn't sick, she may be tired from not getting enough sleep. But then again, kids are resilient - she may be fine! I hope she feels better and it's not too rough of a night for you.

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C.C.

answers from
Fresno
on
September 26, 2010

I'm with the other moms, wait and see how things are in the morning. Even if she isn't sick, she may be tired from not getting enough sleep. But then again, kids are resilient - she may be fine! I hope she feels better and it's not too rough of a night for you.

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R.J.

answers from
Seattle
on
September 27, 2010

If she's coughing bad enough to be keeping her awake, and bad enough to actually be throwing up (my son did this, both from so much post nasal drip it triggered his gag reflex, and from coughing so hard his stomach just would decide to join in) ... please god... keep her home tomorrow.

1) Let her recover fully... if you were up all night coughing and throwing up, wouldn't YOU call in sick? The best way to *prolong* an illness is to do too much too soon. When kids are on the mend they feel GREAT, for 20 minutes, or an hour... and then they crash. They can't crash at school... and no one is pushing fluids (they aren't even allowed to drink in class), or keeping them from running all over the playground wearing themselves out, or cutting them slack for cranky behavior or not being able to pay attention to the lessons. They feel great, they crash, and then they feel great again, and then crash. Part of being a parent is being the big meanie who doesn't let them exhaust themselves because they don't know any better. But that's not the teacher's job, and he she won't be nursing your child well.

2) Keep from getting the other kids in her class and in school sick. ((Personal pet peeve, not saying this is you! When my son was in K parents were actually bringing their kids who were *actively throwing up*, or running high fevers, or coughing uncontrollably all over everyone to SCHOOL. You don't *do* that. School isn't sick-child daycare, it's school. One mum brought her daughter in with flippin' measles. Aaaaargh. At least during the swine flu epidemic people actually followed *standard* precautionary measures with sick kids. But seriously, how completely and totally disrespectful of other people does a parent have to be to *knowingly* bring their sick child to school? (Not to mention the disregarding the welfare of their own child). Of course, we all have the "suddenly sick" without any prior symptoms thing happen. That's different. But when someone is knowingly sick, and callously exposes other people and children, it's just the epitome of selfishness.)) <grinning> okay, off my soap box now!

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M.P.

answers from
Portland
on
September 27, 2010

My experience with schools in our area is that one must have not vomited for 24 hours before they return to school. Doesn't matter the cause. Whew! Takes a load off making a decision. :) My granddaughter has allergies and sometimes coughs so hard she throws up. The school calls for us to take her home.

Even if she's not vomiting while constantly or frequently coughing I suggest she should stay home. Her coughing prevents her from learning and also interferes with the other student's concentration and ability to learn.

Your daughter's school will have a list of reasons to keep her home. Get a copy of it. Knowing their boundary will help you when needing to decide. You can also talk with her teacher about what she prefers in such situations.

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M.B.

answers from
Sacramento
on
September 26, 2010

See how she feels in the morning.
If she is not feeling well, I'd keep her home.
One thing I was grateful for growing up...is my mom never made me go to school sick because that was awful.
Just see how she feels, then go with your gut instinct. :)

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J.T.

answers from
Dallas
on
September 27, 2010

absolutely keep her home. mostly b/c she doesn't feel good, but you never know when she may have some sort of little virus on top of allergies that may have contributed to the vomiting - rule is fever free, vomit free, and diarrhea free without the aid of meds for at least 24 hours.

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D.S.

answers from
New York
on
September 27, 2010

Keep her home. If she isn't sleeping well she will be tired in school and unable to do her work or enjoy her day. Coughing is contagious if children do not cover their mouths properly. There is a stomach virus going around. No matter what grade she is in children who are not feeling well should be home.

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D.K.

answers from
San Francisco
on
September 27, 2010

California is having an epidemic of pertussis/whooping cough (same disease). So I would have her checked out for whooping cough. Coughing until you throw up is a symptom of whooping cough. It could be another virus as well. Even if she has received all her vaccines, the rare person can still get the disease, but it will be milder. Hope she is well soon.

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R.K.

answers from
Boston
on
September 27, 2010

If she is coughing that badly that it is causing her to throw up I would keep her home and I would probably give the pediatrician a call. If its allergies some allergy medication should have helped. Just because she doesn't have a fever it does not mean she's sick and I HATE when people send their sick kids to school. If its causing your daughter that much difficulty think of any young child with a respiratory problem getting this. My oldest rarely gets a fever when sick only a enough times that I can count it on my fingers. He had one w/ lyme disease, h1n1, rsv, and chicken pox. Then take my youngest and he gets a high fever with everything. I don't look at whether or not they have a fever alone I look at all the symtpoms. You wouldn't send a child that was vomitting and has diarrhea to school just because they don't have a fever this is no different.

Updated

If she is coughing that badly that it is causing her to throw up I would keep her home and I would probably give the pediatrician a call. If its allergies some allergy medication should have helped. Just because she doesn't have a fever it does not mean she's sick and I HATE when people send their sick kids to school. If its causing your daughter that much difficulty think of any young child with a respiratory problem getting this. My oldest rarely gets a fever when sick only a enough times that I can count it on my fingers. He had one w/ lyme disease, h1n1, rsv, and chicken pox. Then take my youngest and he gets a high fever with everything. I don't look at whether or not they have a fever alone I look at all the symtpoms. You wouldn't send a child that was vomitting and has diarrhea to school just because they don't have a fever this is no different.

Edited: I don't consider coughing to the point of vomiting a slight cough. FYI: whooping cough symptoms for the first 3-12 days are very mild and are symptoms similar to allergies watery eyes, runny nose, sneezing, dry cough.

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C.C.

answers from
Philadelphia
on
September 27, 2010

Well if I didn't have children who also threw up when they cough I don't think I would understand. Two of my kids have done that more than once. Its completely different then being sick.
If your completely positive its allergies and not contagious I would send her in. My kids have to use the nebulizer often if I kept them home each time they coughed they would never be at school. We have allergies.

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M.R.

answers from
Columbus
on
September 27, 2010

The rule is: No fever for 24 house (with out medication.) No throwing up for 24 hours. Some contagiouls deseases have thier own rules, check with the school nurse, and you should keep your child home any time they feel too sick to participate, even if they do not meet the other critieria.

As a side note, some kids, like mine, may have bigger issues than most kids when they get something little, like a cold. Mine gets a case of shingles everytime she gets the sniffles, so if you are in doubt, please keep your child home, because you just never know if they are sitting next to a child who could become very ill after a small illness, or if they live with someone who does!

M.

Just part of what an old woman has learned...Karma is so much easier if you follow the golden rule...

I won't send my daughter to school when she could infect your kids with the chicken pox while she has exposed shingles outbreaks if you will keep your kid home if she might be contageous with something that causes a little less misery than shingles, which require a week on narcotics and anti virals, after the day that I kept her home for a day because she might pass on the sniffles too...school is important to every ones children, which is why we have rules, including the golden one.

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A.F.

answers from
Columbus
on
September 27, 2010

I know I am reading this after you said what happened. I would have kept her home too. I hope she feels better!

I just wanted to say I disagree with Bobbi. It's just Kindergarten? We should teach our kids that every day of school is important, even kindergarten! I'm glad to read that school is as important to you, M., as it is to our family.